President Donald Trump has directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether former President Joe Biden’s aides concealed his cognitive decline during his presidency by using an autopen to execute presidential responsibilities. Trump claims that the use of the mechanical signature pen, which allowed Biden’s signature to be affixed to thousands of documents, may have been used to obscure his mental state, potentially violating the constitutional limits on presidential authority. The inquiry will explore whether Biden’s advisors conspired to mislead the public about his capabilities and whether executive actions taken in his name were conducted unconstitutionally.
The investigation will examine if Biden’s aides deceived the public about his mental state and whether presidential authorities were unconstitutionally exercised during his term. Trump stated that the use of the autopen to sign documents and execute policies during the latter half of Biden’s presidency, when his cognitive decline was reportedly more apparent to those close to him, raises serious questions about the validity of those executive actions. He argued that if Biden’s advisors used the aut,pen to conceal his incapacity, it would constitute an unconstitutional wielding of presidential power. The probe will also look into whether any agreements were made to falsely label recorded videos of Biden’s cognitive ability as fake and to require public statements that exaggerated his capabilities.
Trump accused Biden’s advisors of restricting his media appearances and scripting his interactions with lawmakers, government officials, and donors to conceal his inability to perform his duties. He suggested that these actions were taken to allow the administration to pass radical directives in the former president’s name. The memo also references Biden’s decision two days before Christmas 2024 to commute the sentences of 37 of the 40 most dangerous criminals on federal death row, including mass murderers and child killers, which Trump claims are significant executive actions that may have been taken without the former president’s awareness.
House Republicans, led by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, had already launched an investigation earlier last month to assess whether Biden, who was in declining health during the final months of his presidency, was mentally fit to authorize the use of the autopen. Comer expressed openness to bringing Biden before the House to answer questions about the matter if necessary. In response, Biden dismissed Trump’s investigation as a ‘distraction,’ asserting that he made all the decisions during his presidency and that the move was an attempt to derail efforts to pass legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to benefit the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.